Sunrise on the Mullica River by photographer Ernest Cozens.
National Wild & Scenic River Designation One Step Closer for Mullica
On May 20th Congressman Herb Conaway Jr., MD led Rep. Jeff Van Drew and Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker in introducing the Mullica River Watershed Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2026. This bipartisan bill would designate the Mullica River for study by the National Park Service for potential designation as a National Wild and Scenic River, allowing for increased conservation efforts.
This federal legislation is a critical first step and could help protect one of the last free-flowing and wild rivers left in New Jersey. The Mullica River would join the ranks of the Great Egg Harbor, Maurice, and Musconetcong which already have substantial portions designated in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. (Legislation to conduct a feasibility study evaluating the Upper Raritan River for potential inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was introduced last October.)
The Mullica River is among the most beloved natural features within the Pine Barrens and deserves the highest levels of protection that we can provide. Over 190 miles of the Mullica and its tributaries have been identified in the National Rivers Inventory for potential designation as “Wild and Scenic” under the Act. The river flows from the pine forests in Chatsworth, Shamong, Tabernacle, through Mullica Township, Egg Harbor City, Hammonton, Washington Township, Warren Grove, Galloway Township, Port Republic, Waterford, Medford, New Gretna and Little Egg Harbor before emptying out into the Great Bay between Tuckerton and Brigantine. It is fed by the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. The waters and land surrounding the river have been valued by residents and visitors for paddling, fishing, shellfish harvesting, boating, hiking, sight-seeing, hunting, swimming, birding, and exploring historic villages and settlements for generations.
“The Mullica River has a very special place in my heart, because it’s where my father and I would spend our weekends fishing growing up,” said Congressman Conaway. “Being able to protect this important natural resource in our state is extremely important to me. Its conservation would not only save the wildlife that call it home, but it would also ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy clean water, healthy ecosystems, and outdoor recreation.”
Including the Mullica River into the National Wild and Scenic River’s Act will help to organize public support for protecting the values that bring people together and help protect the river against federally backed projects like dams or tide-gates that might degrade those values. Additionally, because the Mullica would be designated within the “Partnership” section of the Rivers Act, it is municipalities and their designees who will have the lead in ensuring the protection of the river. The Partnership model is designed for East Coast rivers that primarily flow through private, municipal, county, and state lands so that the communities themselves remain in charge. The National Park Service provides technical guidance to the river council whose members are primarily local residents appointed by their municipality. Landownership along the river remains the same and no additional regulation is created by the designation. The benefit of the Act is primarily adding “Section 7 Review” of certain projects that could affect the river and are funded by the federal government. The Act itself was motivated by the rampant damming of rivers throughout the United States. The Act also creates an opportunity for local municipalities or other public land managers along the river to apply for grants from the National Park service to enhance recreational access along the river or its designated tributaries.
Overall, inclusion into the Act gives the Mullica one additional layer of protection against federal projects and creates an organized base of support among local residents and municipalities to advocate for the clean water, wildlife, and recreational opportunities that we all have come to enjoy and depend on in the Mullica.
A massive thank you goes out to Congressman Conaway and Van Drew and Senators Booker and Kim. This is a great example of bipartisan cooperation to benefit New Jersey’s environment and its people.
Special thanks to Fred Akers at the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association for his tireless commitment and work to see the Mullica River protected!
Read the press release:
May 20, 2026 – Conaway, Van Drew, Kim, Booker Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Conserve New Jersey’s Mullica River – Press Release
